Any inside scoop on CDMA retirement status?

[Pow_2k]

My grandfather relies on his Samsung Knack (u310) for his phone. With his poor vision, poor hearing, and unfortunately slipping mind trying to move him to a new phone isn't feasible. The "old dog/new tricks" adage very much applies here. Honestly we're not sure how long he'll even be able to use this one. Since this phone is CDMA I've been trying to find concrete info on when this phone will no longer be able to be used. Most information I've found discussing CDMA status is a year back, a call to Verizon couldn't get any clear answers, and Verizon's CDMA Network Retirement KB article doesn't list any end date. Is there any chance someone has better (inside) info other than what VZW has officially published?

[Serial Port]

The speculated retirement date for CDMA on Verizon is at the end of 2021. They stopped activating CDMA handsets over 1 year ago, maybe 2 years. Current CDMA equipment users can keep them until the network is finally shut down. I worked for a Verizon reseller during summer 2019 and back then that was the best information available.

[jkozlow3]

The speculated retirement date for CDMA on Verizon is at the end of 2021. They stopped activating CDMA handsets over 1 year ago, maybe 2 years. Current CDMA equipment users can keep them until the network is finally shut down. I worked for a Verizon reseller during summer 2019 and back then that was the best information available.

Huh? Every single article I can find online says end of 2020 after searching for: Verizon sunset CDMA. It was supposed to be the end of 2019 and then Verizon announced the postponement late last year stating that the new retirement date was at the end of 2020.

[Serial Port]

If I got the end date wrong, my mistake. I seriously thought it was the end of next year.

[Jack Hagar]

Count on it becoming a brick in 2 months. He's going to need another device or not use one at all. Any reason why he could use on of these? https://www.verizon.com/basic-phones/

[Serial Port]

Count on it becoming a brick in 2 months. He's going to need another device or not use one at all. Any reason why he could use on of these? https://www.verizon.com/basic-phones/

Good advice. Sorry for my confusion.

[jkozlow3]

Unless of course Verizon decides to delay the sunset date again! Anything is possible.

[Pow_2k]

Count on it becoming a brick in 2 months. He's going to need another device or not use one at all. Any reason why he could use on of these? https://www.verizon.com/basic-phones/

He can barely use his current phone as it is. Probably 10-20% of the time he winds out holding it upside down. He absolutely needs something with a very easy and sturdy charger, which the Knack has with a charge base reliant on two robust contacts at the corners of the phone and not a micro USB port. He can only dial my mom because we've covered the speed dial key for her with bright pink nail polish. I've modified the volume control so he can't turn it down since he needs both the ringer and the speaker at full volume. There is very little chance we could successfully move him to something else and have him handle it himself.

According to the VZW page I linked in my post, which seems to be the most current data I can get my hands on, there is currently no end date for the following CDMA services:

• Suspend/resume service
• Number change
• Plan or feature change
• Upgrades or device changes to compatible 4G/5G devices
• Activating new lines of 4G / 5G devices

The only "future" item currently in that list will change on January 1st 2021:

• Troubleshooting limited to power cycling of a device, checking recent software version and account setup with HD voice (if applicable).

So it seems from that table (at least the way I read it) at turn of the year CDMA will still be chugging along. They'll shut it down at some point for sure but no one can give me a real date, and maybe VZW doesn't even have one right now. Like jkozlow3 the articles I found frequently stated EOY 2020 or even earlier but those are also over a year old (or quoting old data) and VZW themselves isn't stating this on their retirement page. At this point it still seems to be "TBD". If Serial Port's initial memory of it being EOY 2021 is accurate that would probably get us through. I think he's going to be at the point where he won't be able to use a phone on his own by end of next year. We'd then need to work something out with the care staff so they could place the calls for him, at which point we could move up to something modern and with wireless charging to make sure there isn't reliance on a small charge port.

[Pow_2k]

He's 91 and already in decline. A lot of technology we feel is "simple" is not at a level he could handle. I've kept the Knack going with replacements from eBay over the years so he could keep using the device he was familiar with. If we move him to something else my mom is planning to go with a Jitterbug device but we're really hoping to avoid the device change.

[Jack Hagar]

He can barely use his current phone as it is. Probably 10-20% of the time he winds out holding it upside down. He absolutely needs something with a very easy and sturdy charger, which the Knack has with a charge base reliant on two robust contacts at the corners of the phone and not a micro USB port. He can only dial my mom because we've covered the speed dial key for her with bright pink nail polish. I've modified the volume control so he can't turn it down since he needs both the ringer and the speaker at full volume. There is very little chance we could successfully move him to something else and have him handle it himself.

According to the VZW page I linked in my post, which seems to be the most current data I can get my hands on, there is currently no end date for the following CDMA services:

• Suspend/resume service
• Number change
• Plan or feature change
• Upgrades or device changes to compatible 4G/5G devices
• Activating new lines of 4G / 5G devices

The only "future" item currently in that list will change on January 1st 2021:

• Troubleshooting limited to power cycling of a device, checking recent software version and account setup with HD voice (if applicable).

So it seems from that table (at least the way I read it) at turn of the year CDMA will still be chugging along. They'll shut it down at some point for sure but no one can give me a real date, and maybe VZW doesn't even have one right now. Like jkozlow3 the articles I found frequently stated EOY 2020 or even earlier but those are also over a year old (or quoting old data) and VZW themselves isn't stating this on their retirement page. At this point it still seems to be "TBD". If Serial Port's initial memory of it being EOY 2021 is accurate that would probably get us through. I think he's going to be at the point where he won't be able to use a phone on his own by end of next year. We'd then need to work something out with the care staff so they could place the calls for him, at which point we could move up to something modern and with wireless charging to make sure there isn't reliance on a small charge port.

Listen Verizon is already been shutting down CDMA in areas as is and yes it might still work in your area for days, weeks, even months Verizon will eventually shut it down. You can wait until the phone no longer works and hope you don't figure that out when he needs to use his phone the most.

[Jack Hagar]

He's 91 and already in decline. A lot of technology we feel is "simple" is not at a level he could handle. I've kept the Knack going with replacements from eBay over the years so he could keep using the device he was familiar with. If we move him to something else my mom is planning to go with a Jitterbug device but we're really hoping to avoid the device change.

You won't be able to activate anymore replacements even if you can find them. Jitterbug is probably the best option

[Jack Hagar]

Unless of course Verizon decides to delay the sunset date again! Anything is possible.

Verizon is launching lowband 5G which uses 850 MHz they are not goign to delay the CDMA shutdown

[bobdevnul]

...CDMA Network Retirement KB article doesn't list any end date. Is there any chance someone has better (inside) info other than what VZW has officially published?

The info from that link is a change from a couple of months ago. Back then they said that CDMA would continue only until 12/31/20 as-is, where-is.

I understand your predicament. We went through the same thing with my mother at about the same age and went through the same steps. It's heart wrenching.

I wish I had an easy answer, or any answer at all. We went through a lot of effort and anguish. In the end the answer was that there is no answer. As you mentioned, we did have the cellphone available to the aides for calls.

[jmac32here]

The speculated retirement date for CDMA on Verizon is at the end of 2021. They stopped activating CDMA handsets over 1 year ago, maybe 2 years. Current CDMA equipment users can keep them until the network is finally shut down. I worked for a Verizon reseller during summer 2019 and back then that was the best information available.

Perhaps you got Sprint and Verizon confused, is all.

Sprint had laid down plans to shut down 2G CDMA by the end of 2021.
As for Verizon, the original plan was to have CDMA shut down last year, but it got delayed till the end of this year.

"When Will Verizon Retire 3G?

Verizon has already started the process, with a note on a support page stating: “Currently, 3G / 4G non-HD Voice CDMA devices can’t be activated for any new line of service.” The company expects that those still accessing the 3G network will be transitioned over by the end of 2020, after delaying the shutdown by a year."


T-Mobile seems set on following Sprint's original timeline, but has not set anything in stone for their own 3G network.
They have announced the 2G sunset to be the end of this year, so I would not be surprised if they sunset 3G within a year or so.
Especially considering this:
"When Will T-Mobile Retire 3G?

While T-Mobile hasn’t made any official announcements about when it will sunset 3G, Android Police obtained internal T-Mobile documents that show an “aggressive timeline” that includes customers without T-Mobile VoLTE support no longer being able to use the network beginning in January 2021.

When asked about the document, T-Mobile said: “We’re making great progress building a truly transformative nationwide 5G network. As part of that, we will be phasing out some older technologies over time to free up even more capacity for LTE and 5G. In preparation for that and to give customers the best experience, those activating new lines at T-Mobile will need a VoLTE capable device, which is all we’ve offered for years now and represents the overwhelming majority of devices on the network.”

Each of these wireless carriers has already stated that they are no longer activating new 3G devices, with the assumption that most customers will upgrade their device at some point before 3G service ends completely."

https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/when...-t-mobile-att/
https://www.multitech.com/documents/...rriers_PDF.pdf

[Jack Hagar]

T-Mobile seems set on following Sprint's original timeline, but has not set anything in stone for their own 3G network.

Well they kind of have to sunset Sprint's 800 MHz network since Dish owns the spectrum now